Something Beautiful
by emileighhs
Summary: Annabeth arrives in New York with no plans. After escaping an abusive relationship, the first thing she decides she needs is a job. She enters a diner and, on a whim, asks the owner for a job. The owner, Percy Jackson, hires her on the spot without knowing anything about her or her past. Percy finds himself wanting to know more about her, but she closes him off every time.
1. Chapter 1

_Stones taught me to fly  
Love taught me to lie  
So come on courage  
Teach me to be shy  
Cause it's not hard to fall  
When you float like a cannonball_

* * *

Annabeth was tired. She'd been driving for nearly six hours straight, but she couldn't stop. Not now. Not until she's in New York and as far away from Virginia as possible.

He might look for her, but he might not. Annabeth silently prayed that he'd be too occupied with the slut down the street to come after her. She could feel her ribs pulsing with pain and she had to grip the steering wheel tightly to stop her hands from shaking. Her wedding ring caught the light from the sun and she remembered she kept it on. She cursed herself. She should have thrown it away before she left, but it had cost him a lot, so maybe she could sell it.

Annabeth's plan ended as soon as she arrived in New York. She didn't know where she was, she had nowhere to live. She had been saving money since before they were married, but he took all the money out of her savings account and told her _he_ would keep the money. He made her quit her job as an architect a few months after their wedding. When she objected, he slapped her until she cried. He isolated her from what little family and friends she had until the only person she spoke to was him. He wouldn't let her go anywhere by herself, not even the book store. He'd kicked, slapped, punched, and even cut her and she didn't understand what she did to deserve it. She'd loved him and he would tell her the same, but she stopped believing it after the third time he hit her.

Annabeth kept driving, trying to block the old memories out. That was her old life. She was starting over in a new state and a new city and as far away as that man as she could get.

Annabeth's stomach growled loudly. She hadn't eaten since the night before. She was so nervous about leaving that she had to force the food down so he wouldn't suspect anything. He went to visit his sister in North Carolina for the weekend and Annabeth saw her chance. She waited twenty minutes after he left before she began to pack her things. When they got married, he took the money out of her savings and put it in hers, ensuring that she couldn't leave because she had no money. But Annabeth was smart enough to make a secret account. She told him that they lowered her paycheck so that when she put half of her pay in her account, he wouldn't notice. He let her keep her car, mainly for appearances since he drove her everywhere, but he hid the keys. She had a spare one in her glovebox that he didn't know about though. He was completely clueless and she was thankful for that. She had money saved up and a full tank of gas since her car hasn't been driven for two years and she was leaving.

She didn't have nearly enough money to buy an apartment in New York, not even the cheap, gross ones. But she had enough for food, and she was smart enough to get _some_ kind of job. So she would save up. That was her plan. But right now, she needed to eat. Annabeth pulled into the parking lot of the nearest restaurant. It was a small diner but it was packed. She didn't mind the wait though, she was just glad to eat.

She stepped out of her car and grabbed the wad of cash she had in the middle console. Her heart hammered against her chest as she walked across the concrete. Even if she was six hours away from him, she was still scared. Still nervous he'd been behind her the whole time and would drag her by her hair all the way back. She tried to shake the feeling as she stepped inside the diner and was greeted by the smell of hamburgers. Her stomach growled again and she moved forward uncertainly. There wasn't anyone around to tell her where she could sit. A woman in a uniform bustled by holding a tray of drinks.

"Just sit wherever you like, sweetie," she said. Annabeth watched after her for a moment before she moved toward the high counters with the spiny chairs. She pulled herself into an empty seat and sat, her eyes drifting across the many people packed inside the small area. A family was seated to her right, the two small children spinning in their seats and giggling happily. The younger one caught her eye and grinned and she couldn't help but grin back.

"Hi, m'am, what can I get you to drink?"

A perky blond no older than Annabeth was standing on the other side of the counter, smiling gently. Annabeth prayed her makeup was doing its jaw and the waitress couldn't see the bruise on her jaw or her black eye.

"Dr. Pepper," Annabeth answered, her eyes moving away from the girl. This would be a nice place to work, she thought as the waitress walked away. She wondered if they were hiring. She needed job as soon as possible.

A few minutes passed before the girl was back and she set the drink in front of Annabeth.

"M'am?" she asked, her voice quiet. She was surprised the waitress heard her.

"Yes?"

"Is the manager here?"

"Actually, the owner is here. Would you like to speak to him?"

"Oh. Yes, please."

"And while I'm here, would you like to go ahead and order?"

Annabeth ordered a cheeseburger with fries and sat in silence, playing with the condensation of her drink. She was absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't notice the man in front her.

"Hi."

Annabeth jumped hard and her hand that was resting against her drink pushed it. It drink spilled all over the counter and down on her jeans. Her heart was slamming against her sore ribs and her breath automatically hitched. She raised her eyes to look at the man in from of her. He was staring at her with his green eyes sort of wide.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," he said.

She flushed as she began to pull napkins out of the napkin dispenser and began to wipe the Dr. Pepper off the counter.

"It's not your fault. It's okay," she said, grabbing more napkins.

"Here, I got that," the man said. He picked up Annabeth's cup and passed it to a woman passing by, asking if she could refill it. He grabbed a wet rag from behind him and began to mop up the soda.

Annabeth pressed the napkins against her jeans, trying to draw the liquid out. She knew she was going to be sticky now, and she wrinkled her nose.

She studied the man again, noticing his unruly, black hair that seem to stick up in odd places. He looked almost her age, maybe a little older. When he caught her look, he smiled. She blushed again.

"I'm Percy, the owner. You wanted to speak to me?"

"Oh, um." Annabeth paused to clear her throat. "I was wondering if you were hiring?" she asked.

Percy studied her face for a moment before he straightened and smiled. "Sure. Do you want a job? When can you start?"

Annabeth was so taken aback that she stared at him, her mouth slightly open. "You don't want my resume? Or ask me questions? Or something?" she asked in disbelief. Percy shook his head and leaned is elbow against the newly sticky counter.

"Nah. You seem like a good person. When can you start?" he asked again. Annabeth was speechless. She felt her eyes beginning to well up, but she swallowed her tears and straightened her back.

"As soon as you want me to."

Annabeth walked back to her car forty minutes later with her new uniform clutched against her chest. She can't believe Percy hired her on the spot, let alone without asking any questions. She only asked him on a whim, expecting the answer to be, "Oh. No, sorry, we're not hiring right now. Come back in a few months."

She slid into her car and set the uniform in the passenger seat, sliding her wad of money underneath. She took in a shaky breath and began to cry. She couldn't help it. She was finally free. She was going to make her own living and no one could ever take that away from her again.

* * *

Hi! Thank you for reading! Please review c:


	2. Chapter 2

Wow thanks or all the favorites and reviews and reads and follows! Enjoy! (Sorry if there are any mistakes!)

* * *

Annabeth arrived to work early the next day, her back aching from sleeping in her car. She promised herself as her back throbbed that she'd at least stay the night in a cheap motel or something. She was embarrassed to sleep in her car but she had no other options.

The work uniform was just a light blue shirt with khakis. Annabeth paired her Chuck Taylors with it because the only other shoes she had were sandals and high heels.

She stood off to the side, uncertain who to speak to or how to start. Her curly blond hair was a bit greasy, but she pulled it back into a pony tail, deciding it was the best she could do. Yes, a motel was definitely necessary.

Annabeth spotted Percy moving toward the kitchen with a child trailing behind him. Annabeth almost tagged along, but she decided to wait until he noticed her. She didn't want to distract him. The little girl was wearing a soft pink tutu, a striped shirt, and butterfly wings on her back. Her black hair was pulled back in a small ponytail, but Annabeth could still tell it was messy. She was holding one of the cook's spoons as she trailed behind Percy who was walking between customers and the kitchen.

"Daddy!" the little girl said, waving the spoon around like a weapon. "You're not saying it right! Try again!"

Percy smiled as he handed a woman her milkshake and almost ran into the girl as he turned. He caught himself and began walking towards the counter. "Okay," he said, rubbing his hands together, "repeat it just one more time and I promise I'll get it right."

"Okay! Say, 'I, King of the Food, grant you, Princess Lillian, access to all the toys in the land!'"

"Alright. I, King of the Food-hi, how is everything going? Good? That's great-uh, grant you, Princess Lillian, access to all the dolls in the land," Percy said, ducking underneath a tray full of food as a waiter passed by.

"No!" Lillian said, clearly exasperated. She was obviously getting tired of Percy's incorrectness. "Daddy, you said it wrong again! Do it again!"

Percy suddenly turned and lifted the little girl. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, the spoon hitting the back of his head. "How about we meet a new friend instead? Then I can grant you anything you want, okay?"

"Okay!"

Annabeth blinked in surprise as she saw Percy making his way toward her and she realized the friend he was talking about was her. He was wearing a dark blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and nice beige pants.

"Morning, Annabeth. I didn't expect you quite this early."

Annabeth blushed and cleared her throat. "Yes, sorry. I just thought I'd come in early."

Percy nodded, and then he lifted the arm that Lillian was sitting on. "This is my daughter, Lilly. She comes to work with me every day, so you'll probably see her around a lot. Lilly, this is Annabeth. She's going to start working here."

Lilly unwrapped her hands from around Percy's neck and clapped excitedly. "Yay! I like your hair. It's pretty."

Annabeth smiled, getting over the shock that Percy had a daughter. She glanced at his hands and noticed he wasn't wearing a ring. She quickly pushed away her curiosity, and brushed her bangs behind her ear. "That's nice, thank you. I like your tutu."

"Daddy lets me wear what I want," Lilly said, nodding enthusiastically. Percy smiled sheepishly, shifting Lilly into his other arm.

"Why don't you see if Travis and Connor will grant you all the toys? And a few fries, too," Percy suggested, bending a little to set her down. She waved her spoon around and stood on the tiptoes of her sparkly red flats.

"You need to practice your King skills, Daddy. Travis and Connor always remember it, even when they're busy cooking!"

Percy held a hand to his chest in false offence. "I take pride in my King skills!"

Lilly scowled up at him and he laughed, shaking his head. "Go on. I'll be back there in a little while, okay? Just don't get to close to the fryers, or ovens, or stoves!" he called after her, but she already disappeared behind the counter. Percy turned back to Annabeth and smiled slightly, adjusting his sleeves.

"Sorry about that. She's starting school in a few months and since I'm always at work, I don't like to miss out hanging out with her. She loves it here, and all the workers love her, so I just thought I'd bring her here instead of hiring a babysitter."

Annabeth nodded, wondering why Percy was telling her this, but she didn't ask him.

"I guess I'll train you today since everybody is really busy."

"Okay."

Percy showed Annabeth how to work the cash register, and put orders in. He showed her how to clean the tables and where all the mops and brooms were in case someone had a spill. Annabeth surprised Percy by getting orders right on the first time and putting them in without trouble.

"You're good at this, aren't you?" he asked, his smile lopsided. Annabeth smiled slightly, running her fingers down her ponytail as she wrote down a man's order.

"Maybe," she replied quietly. In high school, she took up a job at a large, chain restaurant and that's where she met him. Her husband. Annabeth's eyes flickered to her ring still on her finger and a wave of disgust crashed over her. She forgot to take it off. She silently reminded herself to get a map and see if there were any pawn shops around. Annabeth slid the ring off and slipped it into her pocket when Percy was distracted.

"Percy?" Annabeth asked when she was able to take a break. He paused in the middle of walking a spun around. "I just wanted to thank you for hiring me. I really needed this job."

He gave her a smile that made her wonder if he ever worried about anything and said, "No problem."

* * *

Sitting in her car after her shirt, Annabeth's memories began to flood her mind. She tried to block them out, to put up _some _defenses against them, but they broke through her barrier and crashed against her skull. She squeezed her eyes shut as she began remembering the day before she left.

* * *

Annabeth quickly began to cook the sauce for the spaghetti as she heard the front door slam shut. She closed her eyes, praying he would be in a good mood today. Her husband came into the kitchen, frowning, and he set his briefcase on the table with an audible bang. Annabeth flinched on instinct. He came up behind her, his hands sliding over her hips and thighs. It took every bit of her will to not flinch.

"What's for dinner?" he asked, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I'm making spaghetti for you, baby," Annabeth answered, making her voice as happy and cheerful as she could.

"Spaghetti?" he asked. Annabeth knew this was one of those questions that if she answered it wrong it would result in a hit. She racked her brain, trying to remember if there was anything wrong with spaghetti, but she came up empty handed.

"Yes. I know you love it," she tried.

"Good," he murmured, kissing her neck. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the sensation of his lips on her skin because it disgusted her. But she had to act like it didn't. "I'm going to change. I'll be right back," he said. On his way up the stairs he grabbed three beers and she knew they would be drained by the time he came back down.

A few minutes later, he yelled her name so loud that she dropped the spoon she was stirring the sauce with and it clattered against the floor, sending little flecks of red sauce everywhere. She tried to slow her hammering heart as she left the mess and climbed the stairs to their bedroom. She opened the door and saw him facing her, his hand held out to a pile of Annabeth's clothes on the floor.

"What the _hell _is this?" he shouted, his face red with anger. Annabeth sucked in a breath and moved forward nonchalantly, bending to pick up her pajamas she changed out of earlier.

"Oh, I must've forgotten. I changed earlier and forgot to put them in the hamper. I'm sorry, I'll do it now."

When she turned to leave, he lashed out and grabbed her ponytail and pulled hard. Annabeth stumbled backward, dropping the clothes and yelping in surprise.

"You're such a selfish bitch! I go to work _all day long_ and all I ask you to do keep the house clean and make me dinner and you can't even do that?"

"I'm sorry!" Annabeth cries. He doesn't even seem to hear her as he shoves her to the ground and punches her stomach hard. She screams involuntarily and he slaps her until she's gasping for air. He grabs her hair again and slams her head against the hardwood floor. Spots dance across her vision and her stomach clenches, ready to spill everything inside of it. She stops herself from throwing up because she knows if she even gets a droplet on him, she'll pay for it for days.

"You're a worthless piece of shit," he spits before he storms out and slams the door shut hard, causing Annabeth's head to pound even harder. She takes her time trying to get up, her ribs aching and the world spinning. When she's fully up, she rushes into the bathroom to vomit. The tears don't come and she's thankful. It makes him angry when she cries. She takes one last deep breath and heads back downstairs, swearing to herself that was the last time.

* * *

"Annabeth!"

Annabeth's knees slam hard into her wheel as she jumps, scared and surprised that someone was knocking on her window. Through her window she can see Percy staring at her with Lilly perched on his hip. She rolled her window down, surprised Percy was even in the parking lot.

"You've been sitting here a while, are you okay?"

Annabeth cleared her throat, wondering if Percy would see through her. He had those kind of eyes that looked like he knew everything.

"I'm fine."

"Good. Since I didn't get to interview you or anything, I was wondering if you would like to join Lilly and I for dinner?"

Annabeth looked at him curiously. She barely knew the man for twenty-four hours and he asked her to go out to dinner with him and his daughter? Annabeth assumed Percy was insane. Plus, she had to save her money for a place to stay.

"No, it's okay. I've got to save my money. But thank-"

"It's on me," Percy blurted, flashing her his smile again. It took her a few minutes to think, but as soon as Lilly said, "Please! Pretty please with ice cream and sugar and cherries on top," she was sold.

"I guess."

* * *

Review please (all reviews are greatly appreciated!)! c:


	3. Chapter 3

Hi! Thanks for all the reads and reviews and favorites and follows! Please enjoy and sorry for any mistakes!

* * *

The first dinner Annabeth and Percy went to was quiet and polite. They ate at some restaurant Percy said was his favorite (other than his own, of course), and Annabeth liked it as well. He didn't pry. In fact, he didn't ask questions about Annabeth's personal life at all, which was a major relief to her. That night, after Percy dropped her off back at the restaurant so she could get back in her car,

Annabeth found a cheap motel she could stay in and paid a week in advance. There was a leaky faucet and the TV did a weird, flickering thing, but overall it was clean and good enough for Annabeth.

Percy didn't train her after the first day because she knew how to do everything, but he did check up on her regularly to make sure she was doing okay, and Lilly usually ran up to her to tell her something exciting she learned or what she thought about Annabeth's hair that day. A week after Annabeth started working, Percy asked her to dinner again. Well, Lilly asked, but Percy was just a few feet away pretending to write someone's order down, but he was grinning. Annabeth said yes, mainly because she couldn't stand having to take home her free meal she gets from working and eating it for dinner.  
She needed something other than burgers and fries for dinner. She changed before they left since she left her bags in her car in case something happened. Like him finding her. She tried to clear those thoughts as she changed into a white blouse and blue jean shorts, glad she decided to shave last night.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, her uniform draped over her arm, Lilly was the only one in the dining area. Annabeth assumed Percy was in the back making sure everything was off or locked. Annabeth spread her arms, turning to the side a little.

"How do think I look?" she asked Lilly.

"Pretty!" she replied.

Annabeth smiled, dropping her arms. "Really?"

"Yes," Lilly said before turning her attention back to her coloring book.

Percy wasn't going to lie; he thought Annabeth was seriously beautiful. When she asked him for a job, he was inclined to say yes. He felt like if he said no he'd be making a huge mistake. Something about her-the twinkle of great knowledge in her grey eyes, or the way she stuck her chin out, ready for any challenge-immediately drew his attention to her.

The first time he asked her to dinner, when he was walking out in the parking lot ready to take Lilly out to dinner because she was hungry, Lilly pointed out Annabeth still sitting in her car even though her shift ended twenty minutes ago. She was staring at the steering wheel, her eyes hard and lost, and he wondered what she was thinking about. Her lips were pulled into a frown and her eyebrows were knitted together. She looked upset. Then Percy knocked on her window and she jumped hard. Even though she looked like a woman with the strongest will he'd ever seen, she seemed almost frightened of something. He knew once Lilly begged her, she'd say yes. And she did, which made Percy's heart do something weird.

And now here they were, sitting at a table in a small restaurant for the second time. He talked Lilly into asking Annabeth to dinner because he hoped Annabeth had a soft spot for Lilly. And he was right. Lilly had worn her butterfly wings again today and she immediately sat next to Annabeth, her butterfly wings crushed beneath her small back but she didn't seem to mind. Percy could really tell she liked Annabeth, which was a good thing. Annabeth laughed at his stupid jokes and corrected him when he got information wrong and she helped Lilly when she knocked her water over.

"So," Percy finally said as Annabeth dropped a few sopping wet napkins at the edge of the table, "where did you come from?" He didn't want to ask her this on the first time he took her to dinner because he didn't want to scare her away with his questions.

Annabeth cleared her throat and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Percy almost changed the subject, but she answered before he got the chance. "I'm from Virginia. I moved here, um…because I was tired of my town and state. I've wanted to go to New York for a while."

"How long have you been here?" Percy asked as he pulled the ketchup bottle from Lilly's grasp before she could over flow her french fries with it. He put a straw in her new drink that the waitress brought by and made sure it was out of reach of her elbow. She began the chew on her chicken strips, looking across the table at him with big blue eyes. He made a face at her and she giggled.

"My first day was when I asked you for a job," she said quietly, mixing the sauce of her chicken alfredo in with the noodles and taking a bite. Percy let that sink in for a second before he blinked in surprise.

"Your first day? Where are you staying?"

Annabeth mumbled something Percy couldn't hear then changed the subject by asking Lilly her favorite color.

"I like blue," she said, tapping her fingers against the table and Percy could tell she was swinging her feet underneath the table. "But I like green too. And purple, I like purple too."

Percy let the subject drop, but he felt uncomfortable about it. It nagged him, but he pushed it away for the moment and focused on Annabeth and his daughter.

"Oh, I see. I like purple, too."

Lilly's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Annabeth nodded firmly. "Really."

As Percy watched the exchange, he suddenly felt a pang in his heart and he realized why Lilly had automatically taken to Annabeth. Annabeth had this motherly air about her, though he doubted she had any children. She knew how to treat kids well and Percy liked it.

Lilly pushed a fry into her mouth and then suddenly gasped.

"Daddy!" she said, her eyes wide.

"What?" Percy asked, knowing not to be too alert because Lilly did exaggerate most things. But it was cute (for now) so it didn't bother him.

"We forgot to feed Sir!" She slapped her hand against her forehead, something she learned from watching too many dramatic television shows.

"Sir?" Annabeth asked, looking the Percy in confusion. Percy grinned sheepishly, taking a sip of his soda before answering.

"Lilly, uh, has a knack for finding stray animals around our apartment complex and feeding them. Sir is a black kitten that she found hanging out around our neighbor's apartment," Percy answered. "Luckily, the managers like me so they said as long as the animals don't come inside, it's fine."

Annabeth pushed her hair behind her hair and smiled. "That's good."

"But it won't be good if he starves!" Lilly said impatiently. "We have to go home, daddy!"

Percy sighed. "Just wait until Annabeth finishes her dinner and I swear I will speed home," Percy promised. Lilly pouted and shifted the food around on her plate.

"It's fine," Annabeth said. "I can just take this home. We don't want Sir to starve."

Percy stared at her for a moment, trying to decided if her offer was genuine. She offered him a smile, and he decided she was the most beautiful woman he'd seen. He cleared his throat, pushing his empty plate back. He flagged the waitress down and asked for a to-go box. After Annabeth piled her food into the box, they all stood up, Lilly raising her hands above her head to stretch.

On the walk to the parking lot, Lilly grabbed Percy's hand and then Annabeth's. Annabeth looked down in surprise, but Lilly was too busy skipping to notice the look. Percy caught it though, and he gave her a reassuring smile.

When they arrived to the restaurant, Annabeth turned in her seat and peeked at Lilly over the shoulder of the passenger seat.

"I had fun," she said.

"Me too!" Lilly said, grinning.

"Alright. I'll see you two tomorrow."

"Wait," Percy said when Annabeth opened the door. He climbed out of the car as well and walked around to the passenger side. Annabeth stepped out and Percy walked her to her car.

"Thank you for dinner," Annabeth said after a moment.

"Oh, no problem. Lilly really likes you and it's good for her to be around women because she doesn't have a good…womanly influence," Percy pushed out, wincing slightly at his words. Sometimes, he wasn't very good at talking.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Her mom-"

"Daddy, can we please go?" Lilly called out of the open window. Annabeth laughed and nudged his shoulder.

"You better go," she said.

Percy grinned. "I better. Wouldn't want Sir going back to his original house, now would we?"

"No," Annabeth replied, smiling. "Thanks again," she called as he walked toward his car.

He turned, walking backward and flashed her his lopsided smile. "Anytime."

* * *

Thanks for reading c: Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

C: thank you

* * *

Three weeks after Annabeth moved to New York, she finally went in search for an apartment. She was tired of people's conversations through the paper thin walls, and the bed was kind of hard and it hurt her back. Her bruises had almost completely faded to the point where she didn't have to pack on her makeup. In fact, she decided to not wear any makeup that day because she wanted her skin to be able to take a break and breathe.

Annabeth walked into work, her hair tangled by the wind and pieces of it stuck in her mouth. She brushed her hair away from her face and nearly trampled Lillian who was standing by the door, a phone clutched in her hand and earphones in her ears.

"Sorry!" Annabeth said quickly, making sure she didn't step on Lilly. Lilly seemed fine though and when she looked up at Annabeth, she smiled. Today she was wearing a cute little summer dress that was yellow and had daisies on them. And of course she paired it with bright pink rain boots even though there wasn't a single cloud in the sky.

"Annabeth!" she said, pulling her earphones out.

"What are you listening to?" Annabeth asked, pulling Lilly out of the front of the door so they wouldn't block any incoming customers.

"I'm watching a movie," she replied, wrinkling her nose.

"You don't like it?"

"There's a lot of blood...and I don't know what's going on!"

Annabeth moved close to Lilly and peered over her shoulder. On the iPhone screen was a battle scene-a really gory battle scene where someone got shot, blown up, or caught on fire in every shot. There was blood everywhere and people screaming. Annabeth blinked in surprise.

"Why are you watching this?" she asked, pulling the phone away from her.

"Daddy gave me his phone and told me to watch a movie so I picked this one." She wrinkled her nose again and shook her head, her short black hair whipping around dramatically. "I don't like it."

"Well, I can see why," Annabeth said. "Here." She walked over to behind the counter and pulled out the stash of blank printer paper and a big box of crayons. She led Lilly to a small table set up to the side for her and set the paper and crayons down.

"Why don't you draw something instead?"

"What should I draw?"

"Hmmm...Why don't you draw your favorite animal...in your favorite color," Annabeth suggested, glancing around for Percy. She supposed she had to give him his phone back and scold him for letting a five year-old girl watch a war movie.

"A blue turtle?" Lilly asked curiously. Then she giggled. "That's silly."

Annabeth smiled. "It is, isn't it? But it'll be cool."

Lilly thought about it for a moment before she nodded seriously. "Okay. I'll draw it, but only for you! You'll have to take it home and put it up on your fridge."

Annabeth smiled again, not having the heart to tell Lilly she didn't exactly have a refrigerator, but she nodded anyway. "Of course. Have fun. I have to go to work now."

Lilly smiled and turned her attention to her table where she picked up three different blue crayons and began to work.

Annabeth found Percy in the back making sure tickets and orders were matching. Annabeth stood behind him, waiting for him to turn around, and when he did he ran straight into Annabeth, nearly knocking her over.

"Sorry," Percy said, catching Annabeth's upper arms to keep her from falling into the fryers behind her.

"It's okay," she replied, brushing his hands off of her. She pulled his phone from her back pocket and held it out, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" he asked. Then he noticed the fish on the phone case and realized it was his. "My phone?"

"Lilly had it," Annabeth said as he pulled it from her fingers.

"Yeah, I was letting her watch a movie," he replied, looking at her like she was slightly insane.

"She was watching a war movie."

Percy blinked. "Oh shit, was she really?" he asked. He unlocked his phone and looked at the movie titles he had. "I guess she was watching Saving Private Ryan. Shit."

"What? Why do you even have that movie on there?"

Percy frowned and moved forward because one of the chefs, Travis or Connor, had to shuffle by. "What do you mean? That movie is amazing. Haven't you ever seen it?"

Annabeth scoffed. "No, and I don't plan on it. I highly doubt the director got anywhere near depicting what really happened during World War II," she said, rolling her eyes. She was a history fanatic. When she was in high school, she would read her history book for fun. She loved everything about history-the tragedy, the revolutions, the wars. They interested her. And she knew World War II backward and forward. It was one of her favorite wars to learn about.

"How do you know if you haven't even seen it?"

Annabeth waved her hand. "Believe me, I know. I have to get back to work," she said even though she hadn't even really started work yet. Percy didn't say anything as she left and she definitely didn't feel his eyes on her, staring at her in disbelief.

* * *

Percy couldn't believe Annabeth had never seen Saving Private Ryan and wasn't even going to give it a chance. It was one of Percy's favorite movies simply because of how real it was. Percy obviously never went to war during World War II (or actually at all), but he knew that was as close as you could get to real. People in the movie weren't spared because they were main characters. Percy loved it. And he couldn't believe Annabeth hadn't seen it. When Percy was in high school and they were learning about World War II, they watched Saving Private Ryan. His teacher said when it came out in theaters, a bunch of him and his friends went to see it and there were Veterans that were crying because it reminded them of the war.

Percy shook the thoughts as he went to check on Lilly, making sure she wasn't traumatized. When he gave her his phone, he assumed she was going to pick one of the Disney movies he kept on there (mainly The Little Mermaid since it was both of their favorites and Lilly had to watch it weekly to survive), but she obviously wasn't in the mood for Disney.

"Hey, baby," Percy said as he squatted down next to Lilly. He could see her drawing something in all blue but he couldn't quite make it out yet.

"Hi," she answered, switching her light blue crayon for a dark one.

"How did you like your, uh, movie?"

"I didn't like it at all," she said, frowning.

"Well, I'm sorry. How about we watch The Little Mermaid tonight?" he asked.

"Okay! But you have to promise to sing along. It's only fun when you sing!" Lilly insisted. She held up her drawing and inspected it before putting it back down and picking up a purple crayon. She held it poised over the paper, thinking.

"I always sing," Percy replied. Lilly turned to him.

"How do you spell Annabeth?" she asked.

"Annabeth?"

"Yes. I drew this picture for her."

"Oh," Percy said. He didn't try to decipher what the drawing was simply because Lilly's drawing always differed. She could draw a blob one day, tell Percy it's a butterfly, draw the exact same blob the next day and act offended when Percy asked if it's a butterfly. "Okay. A-N-N-A-B-E-T-H."

"That's long," Lilly said as she scribbled the last letter and switched to a pink crayon. Then she began to draw hearts around Annabeth's name.

"It is."

"Percy, this woman's check is screwed up and the register is messing up so we can't figure it out," Kalle, a waitress, said. Percy nodded and pulled himself up, ruffling Lilly's hair who scowled.

"I'll be right back."

* * *

Annabeth followed the lady up a flight of stairs to view an apartment. She had enough money to move into one when she first got to New York, but she was just nervous of settling down. She felt safer in a motel where she could get up and leave quickly. But if she moved into an apartment, if she rooted down and began to feel comfortable, it would be so much harder to leave.

But then again Annabeth was tired of carrying her bags around and staying in a cramped room. Maybe she needed to settle down, to calm her nerves. She had no ties to New York, her dad lived in Virginia and she had no idea where her mother lived. There was no way he could somehow assume she was there. No way. That's what Annabeth had been telling herself since she got there.

Annabeth pushed her hair behind her ear and the woman opened up a door on the second floor.

"Now this is a one bedroom, two bath," the woman said as she stepped in and Annabeth followed. The front door led straight into the living room. The kitchen branched off to the right along with the dining room and down the hall to a left there was a bathroom and a bedroom. The bedroom had a bathroom attached to it and Annabeth loved it. Now she had a refrigerator she could put Lilly's picture on. She wrote Annabeth's name and put hearts around it and it was the sweetest thing she'd ever seen. It made her wish she had a child. She almost did, once. But he fixed that...

Annabeth brought her attention back to the apartment. The whole place was painted light beige, which really wasn't Annabeth's thing, but the woman noticed and smiled. "You can paint the rooms any color you'd like. You can hang pictures, too."

Annabeth smiled. "I love it."

* * *

Percy came into work the next day, holding Lilly's hand as she skipped high in the parking lot.

"Daddy?" she asked, kicking a rock across the concrete.

"Yes?"

"Do you like Annabeth?"

"Of course." Percy unlocked the door to the restaurant and flicked the lights on. The workers would be coming in in about an hour. "She's a very nice lady."

"Not like that," she giggled. "I mean like...do you like her enough for her to be my...mommy?"

Percy froze, his keys dangling on his fingers. He swallowed hard and squatted down in front his daughter, taking her hands. His chest tightened considerably and he tried to find his voice. Lilly hadn't said anything about a mother since she was three.

"Lilly...Annabeth is just a friend," he said slowly, not sure how to confront this.

"But why does that mean she can't be my mommy?" she asked, confused.

Percy just smiled. "It doesn't," he replied, hoping his response doesn't give her false hope.

"Okay" is all she said and she shook Percy's hand loose and skipped to an empty table. Even though she didn't show it, and never has, Percy knows she wants a mom. She needs a woman in her life that will love her unconditionally and be there when she hits her teenage years and needs help with girl things Percy doesn't understand. Her grandmother, Percy's mother Sally, loves her but she's not her mom. Lilly pretends she's happy without a mom, but sometimes Percy can see it in her eyes. No five year-old girl should be missing a parent. And it breaks his heart.

* * *

When Annabeth walks in, Percy is working at the counter, handing out milkshakes and taking orders. She walks in, her hair curly and messy around her face. Instead of her usual khakis, she's wearing blue jean shorts which surprised Percy because the khakis are uniform. Annabeth noticed his look and she blushed furiously. She quickly crossed the dining area and went behind the counter to speak with him.

"I'm sorry, Percy. This morning I was making coffee and I spilled the pot on my pants and I only have one pair and all my jeans were dirty. I'm sorry," she blurted quickly, tugging at her shorts in an attempt to make them longer. Percy took a moment to stare. Annabeth's thighs were red and he tried not to think about how hot that coffee was. But Annabeth had amazing legs. Long, tan, shapely le-

"Percy?"

Percy blinked hard and raised his eyes to meet Annabeth's grey ones. He cleared his throat, suddenly embarrassed.

"No, it's fine. Don't worry about it," he managed, flashing her a smile. Her shoulders relaxed and she sighed in relief.

"Good. Thank you," she said. Percy said nothing because he couldn't really, and she walked away, smiling at him. Percy's throat felt dry and he decided he's never had feelings for a girl this quick. Not to mention a girl he's only known for three weeks. But he couldn't help it.

* * *

Thank you for reading :) please review!

ps Saving Private Ryan is one of my favorite movies and it will come in later bc how could someone not like it

and also later you will learn more about Lilly's mom (haven't decided if I'm going to make her up or pick one of Percy's many lovers) and Percy's past plus Annabeth's past and her (now ex) husband 3 okay thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

Hiiiii! Sorry it took so long to update; I'm working on a novel of my own! Okay, enjoy please! (Oh, and in case you were wondering, the abusive husband is not _not **not not nOT**** NOT**_ Luke, okay? I repeat, Annabeth's abusive husband is **_NOT_** Luke. Got it? Good.)

* * *

Percy sat on the edge of his bed, drumming his fingers on his knees. He had to be at work in thirty minutes but he was too busy trying to think up ways to ask Annabeth on a date. They didn't really speak a lot, but Percy still thought she beautiful and he actually wanted to get to know her. She seemed very closed off and rarely spoke about her personal life.

Percy stood up, deciding he'd better get ready for work. He showered quickly and got dressed in a dark green shirt and blue jeans. He didn't bother with his hair because no matter how hard he tried to make it stay flat, it always looked like he just rolled out of bed. He pulled his shoes on, made sure he had his phone and keys, and went into Lilly's room.

Lilly's room was painted a light pink and there were dolls scattered across the floor with some of their heads missing. She still played with them though, which kind of confused Percy, but he didn't ask about it. Lilly was curled up in a ball, her mouth open. And she was drooling-which she inherited from Percy. Percy gently shook her awake. She opened her eyes, looking up at him sleepily.

"Good morning, Princess Lillian," Percy said. She smiled at him, which made his heart melt, and sat up, rubbing her eyes with tiny fists. "Go ahead and get dressed. I'm going to make you breakfast, okay?"

She nodded and crawled out of her small bed. As she yawned and began shuffling through her drawers, Percy moved into the kitchen where he made toast and scrambled eggs. By the time to food was done cooking, Lilly came out of her room wearing hot pink shorts and her Little Mermaid shirt. The whole daddy-lets-me-wear-whatever-I-want thing started when Percy didn't have time to hold up outfits in the morning to see if Lilly liked them, so he told her she could wear whatever she wanted. And she loved it, so Percy didn't mind letting her do it. It gave him more time to get ready in the morning.

Lilly sat down at the table and Percy passed her a plate. She ate slowly, swinging her feet and watching Percy make his coffee. As Percy poured sugar into his coffee, he turned sideways and looked at his daughter. She looked identical to him, except for her eyes. And maybe her nose, too. They were her mother's. Percy wished she looked exactly like him, no resemblance to her mother at all because she was a terrible mother. Or, to herself, not a mother at all. Percy put the sugar down and picked up his coffee cup. Then he sat down across from Lilly.

"What do you think about me asking Annabeth on a date?" he asked. Lilly looked up mid chew, her expression confused.

"A date?" she asked.

Percy sometimes forgot he was talking to a five year-old. "Yeah. A date is when two people...see if they can be boyfriend and girlfriend," he tried, and failed, to explain.

"Annabeth is your girlfriend?"

"Not yet," Percy replied, taking a sip of his coffee. "But if I go on a date with her, she _could_ be my girlfriend."

"Oh," Lilly said.

"So what do you think about me asking Annabeth on a date?" he tried again.

She nodded. "I want Annabeth to be your girlfriend."

"Yeah. Me too."

"Daddy?" Lilly asked a moment later, already moving on from the other conversation. "Could you braid my hair?"

Percy glanced at his watch. He has to be at work in five minutes, but he just smiled. "Of course."

* * *

When Percy came into work ten minutes late, Annabeth was surprised. He was usually always on time to open up the restaurant but he didn't get there early enough. Clarisse, the manager, opened it up and muttered something about Percy being a punk. Annabeth laughed and began to work, setting people at tables, taking their orders, bringing out food. When everyone was satisfied and eating, Annabeth began to clean the counter. She didn't like not having anything to do.

She felt Percy step up behind her and she waited for him to say something. For a moment he didn't, and Annabeth felt her body tense as an instinct. But then he stepped up beside her and leaned his elbows against the edge of the counter. He didn't say anything. He just watched her as she wiped the counter down with a rag. She glanced at him and raised an eyebrow and he smiled. He remained silent. A few minutes passed and Percy finally sighed and tapped his fingers against the counter.

"I still can't believe you haven't seen Saving Private Ryan," he finally said. Annabeth paused her cleaning and raised an eyebrow.

"You're still on about that?" she asked.

"I mean, it's only the best movie ever, Annabeth. I just...I don't understand! You haven't even given it a chance?"

Annabeth shrugged and shook her head. "Nope."

Percy groaned and rolled his eyes. "You haven't lived yet."

Annabeth scowled at him, crossing her arms. "I think I'll live."

Percy's eyes flickered down to his feet and he straightened his posture. He looked back up to her and she was surprised how close his eyes were to the color of the sea. "Would you like to come over and watch it with me? My mom is taking Lilly to a fair and I wouldn't want you going on with life without watching this movie," he said, offering her a smile.

Annabeth leaned back a little, her eyebrow still raised as she listened. Her lips turned to the side as she thought about it. Well, she did love World War Two and Percy was kind of cute...

"Okay," she said. Percy grinned.

"Really?"

"Why, were you expecting me to say no, Mr. Jackson?"

It was Percy's turn to laugh. "No," he said, and when Annabeth gave him a dubious look, he added, "Maybe."

Percy shifted his weight from foot to foot before he shoved his hands in his pockets. "My mom's picking Lilly up at around seven forty-five, so I'll see you at eight?"

Annabeth nodded.

"Perfect," Percy breathed before he turned and went back to work.

* * *

Annabeth stood in front of the full length mirror in her bathroom, running her hands down her shirt and shorts to smooth them for the umpteenth time. She wasn't going to lie; she was a bit nervous but she didn't know what for. She'd been out to dinner with Percy twice before and she spoke to him nearly every day at work. Maybe it was the fact that they would be alone for the first time and she wasn't sure how to feel. Annabeth hadn't been alone with a man since before she met her husband.

She ran her fingers through her curly hair and made sure her faded orange T-shirt and blue jean shorts looked okay. She checked the address Percy wrote down earlier. She had to check on Mapquest because she had no idea where it was, but she had a clue now, and it was already 7:50. She had to leave now.

Annabeth pulled into the apartment complex eight minutes later. She pulled the keys out of the ignition. She climbed the stairs to the second floor and gently tapped on the front door. There was a moment of shuffling before the door flew open. Lilly was standing there, grinning.

"Annabeth!" she squealed and she flew forward to wrap her skinny little arms around Annabeth's knees. Annabeth touched the top of her hair where her braids were still in from earlier. She squeezed Annabeth's legs and moved back, still grinning.

"Hello, Lilly," Annabeth finally said. Percy walked past, completely missing Annabeth. Then he walked right out of the room he went in and stared at her.

"Welcome," he said loudly, spreading his arms, "to my humble abode. Or apartment, whichever one." He shrugged.

"Daddy? What does 'humble commode' mean?"

Percy blinked at Lilly and Annabeth tried to stifle a giggle but she failed. Percy lifted his eyes to her and, catching her giggle, laughed.

"It's humble _abode_, Lilly. I just means our house." He turned to Annabeth. "I'm sorry, my mom's running a bit late. Her new puppy, Mrs. O'Leary, had a little snack on the couch cushions and she had clean up the mess. She should be here any moment."

Lilly looked up at Annabeth and raised her arms. Annabeth lifted her without even thinking about it an settled her on her hip. "It's fine. I'm not in a rush," she said. Percy took a step back.

"Would you like a tour?" he asked, throwing his thumb over his shoulder. Annabeth nodded. Percy led her through his apartment, showing her the kitchen and his room and Lilly's room. It was a comfortable sized apartment that felt all cozy. It was different than Annabeth's, that's for sure. Annabeth only had the bed that (thankfully) came with the apartment and the kitchen appliances in the kitchen. She didn't have enough money to buy anything else. Not if she wanted to eat everyday.

While Percy was in the middle of showing Annabeth his beach themed bathroom, the front door opened. There was sound of keys hitting the kitchen table and someone called out.

"Percy?"

Percy grinned and he motioned for Annabeth to follow him into the living room. Standing inside the apartment was a woman with long straight brown and a warm smile.

"Hi, mom," Percy said, stepping forward and hugging the woman. He was much taller and lankier than her, and for a moment Annabeth didn't see the resemblance. But then when Percy stepped back Annabeth noticed they had the same shape face and her smile mimicked his.

Lilly wriggled out of Annabeth's grip and sprinted to Percy's mom, throwing herself toward her. Percy's mom caught her last second and, with a groan, lifted Lilly into the hair.

"Lord, you're getting big," she said. "I haven't seen you since you were this big." She held her thumb and index finger and inch apart. Lilly giggled.

"You saw me yesterday, Grandma!"

Percy's mom smiled. "You must grow pretty fast then."

"Mom, this is Annabeth," Percy said, motioning to her. "She's working in the restaurant."

"Hi, I'm Sally Jackson," Percy's mom said.

"Hello," Annabeth answered, smiling.

"It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

"_Mom_," Percy hissed, blushing furiously. Annabeth felt her cheeks flush as well and she dropped her eyes to her feet, shifting her weight. Sally just smiled and turned her attention to Lilly.

"You ready to go?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay! Percy we'll be back at around nine-thirty or ten, okay?"

Percy nodded. "That's fine." He took a step forward and kissed his mother on the cheek and his daughter on the forehead.

"See ya later, Daddy!" Lilly called over Sally's shoulder as they left. Percy smiled after them and turned to Annabeth.

"Right. If you'll follow me, madam," he said, extending his arm to the living room. Annabeth sat down on the love seat which was directly in front of the TV and watched as Percy moved out to put the DVD in and press play. He sat down next to Annabeth, closer than she expected, but she didn't say anything.

Throughout the entire movie, Annabeth sat on the edge of the seat, staring at the screen in amazement.

"This is so accurate," she breathed during the opening scenes. By the end of the movie, she was frowning. As the credits rolled, Percy waited for her reaction, expecting her to tell him how awesome it was and praising him for showing it to her. But she grabbed the pillow next to her and hit him in the chest with it.

"What the _hell_ was that?" she cried. When Percy didn't answer, she hit him again.

"That was...Saving Private Ryan," Percy replied, bemused.

"What-I-_everyone died_!"

"But it was a good movie!" Percy complained, amused at her annoyance. "Was it accurate?"

She scowled at him but huffed out, "Yes. The depiction of D-Day was amazing, and even though everyone died, it showed that even your best friends died."

Percy grinned, resisting the urge to hold her hand or touch her knee or show some sort of affection. "Exactly!"  
Annabeth opened her mouth to reply when the front door opened and Sally and Lilly walked in. Sally flicked the light on and blinked at the couple on the couch.

"You're still awake?" she asked.

"Yeah," Percy said, blushing slightly. "The movie is almost three hours long."

"Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You weren't," Annabeth said quickly, standing up. She smiled at Percy and his heart swelled. She grabbed her keys from the coffee table, waved goodbye to Percy, hugged his mom and Lilly, and disappeared through the door before Percy could even stand up. When he made it to the door to see if he could walk her out, she was already pulling out of the parking lot. He sighed heavily.

"Good night, Annabeth."


	6. Chapter 6

After Annabeth left, Percy's mom interrogated him.

"How was it?" she asked, setting Lilly down who had traces of blue cotton candy all over her mouth. She took a few steps forward and wrapped hers arms around Percy's leg, her eyes closing. He could tell she was sleepy. He lifted her into his arms and she rested her cheek against his shoulder, her eyes staying shut.

"We just watched a movie," Percy said, blushing slightly. His mom always had to know about new girls. Percy hadn't had a girlfriend since Lilly's mom. There was a girl, Rachel, but Percy could tell it wasn't going to work out. And then here comes Annabeth and Percy is completely crazy about her, even if they haven't known each other too long, or that Annabeth was intent on staying a mystery.

"Sure," Sally said, smiling. She kissed his forehead and then kissed the top of Lilly's head who was now fast asleep. "Call me when you go on a date again," she said with her hand on the door.

Percy blushed and scowled. "It wasn't a date."

"Good night Percy, I love you."

"'Night Mom, love you too," Percy grumbled, watching her leave. He lifted Lilly a little higher and made his way to her room. He tucked her in, turned on her night light that threw shapes of moons and stars against the wall, and left her room to go to his. In his room, he kicked off his shoes, striped down to his boxers, and fell asleep, thinking of Annabeth.

* * *

Annabeth put her hands on her hips and stood back, examining her work. She'd finally gotten to decorating her house to make it seem more like home. She told herself she wasn't going to do it in case she had to leave quickly, but she couldn't resist. The house was so dull and Annabeth was tired of it. All she needed now was paint. The living room was a beige color that she thought went well with the house, but she wanted to paint her room a different color.

She pushed her hair out of her face and grabbed her keys, deciding that she should go to Lowes to pick out some paint, or some samples at least.

Annabeth entered Lowes with a mind full of colors. She had no idea exactly what color she would pick. It could be anything because the covers on her bed were plain white since they were cheap.

She moved over to the sample section, crossed her arms, and began her search. She definitely didn't want pink. Or orange. Maybe purple or blue or yellow. As Annabeth reached out to pull a sample that was sea foam green, someone called her name. Her hand froze along with her heart. Panic rose quickly in her throat and she turned her head quickly to see who it was.

Percy was down the aisle, Lilly swinging from his arm and a gallon of paint in his free hand. Annabeth relaxed immediately but she was sure Percy noticed her moment of fear. Her offered her a warm, lopsided smile and she thought to herself that he was pretty cute.

"Hey!" Percy said as he neared her. Annabeth glanced at Lilly to see what she had picked out to wear this time; her black hair was in a ponytail and there was a tiara perched crookedly on her head, she was wearing the tutu she was the first day Annabeth met her and a shirt with a fish on it. She waved at Annabeth and grinned. Annabeth waved back. "What are you doing here?" Percy asked.

Annabeth raised her eyes to him and nearly scowled at the twinge she felt in her chest. The other night when his mom and Lilly walked in, Annabeth wasn't sure what she was feeling, but she loved that Percy was actually interested in something historical. She didn't want to admit it to _anyone_, but guys who liked historical things definitely turned her on and she had to leave his apartment as soon as she could.

"Oh, um, I'm painting my room," Annabeth replied, glancing at the samples again. She looked at the paint can in Percy's hand. "What are you painting?"

"Oh," Percy said, and he lifted the can as though he forgot he'd been carrying it. "The kitchen is getting a but dingy and my mom suggested that I paint it." He shrugged. Annabeth noticed the color on top and saw it was a calm blue that would look nice in the kitchen.

"Good color," she said, nodding. He grinned.

"Thanks. Blue is my favorite color. What color are you doing?"

Annabeth looked to her right and shrugged. "I haven't decided yet."

"You can do blue, too," Percy said, still grinning, "so that every time you go in your room you can think of me."  
Annabeth blushed furiously and Percy laughed. "I didn't mean it that way," he said, looking at her innocently, but he was still laughing.

Annabeth tried to keep the smile off her face, but she failed miserably. "Well, I'm not sure about that."

Lilly tugged on Percy's arm, showing that she wanted to go. Percy gave her a look that told her to give him a few more seconds, and he blurted, "Would you like to go to dinner with me?"

She looked at him. They've already gone to dinner twice before.

"Without any munchkins," he added, tipping his head toward Lilly who was playing with his watch.

"I'm not a munchkin!" Lilly said indignantly. "I am a _princess_." She said the word slowly as if Percy didn't quite understand the concept of the word.

"Right." Percy nodded. "Without any princesses."

Annabeth watched them, shifting her weight between her feet. "Okay," she said.

"Really?" Percy asked with the same tone of surprise he used when he asked Annabeth to watch the movie with him.

"You've got to stope acting so surprised, Percy."

He grinned yet again, his green eyes bright. "I'll pick you up at eight." Percy made to walk past Annabeth, but she caught his arm.

"Don't you need my address?"

"I'll just text you for it."

"Don't you need my phone number?" she asked.

"Nah. I have all my worker's numbers in my phone."

Annabeth gave him a look. "But I never-"

"I know. But you gave it to Kalle and she, uh, let it pass hands."

"More like you asked for it," Annabeth replied.

Percy shrugged, feigning innocence, and left the store with Lilly still swinging on his arm.

Annabeth watched them leave, pushing her bangs behind her ear.

"Excuse me, ma'am, can I help you with anything?"

Annabeth jumped slightly, lost in her thoughts, and look at the woman with a Lowes uniform on.

"Oh, right, yes. I'm looking for blue paint."

* * *

Percy picked Annabeth up at exactly eight, surprising her because she thought he'd be late. She glanced out of her window and saw Percy getting out of his car. Smoothing her red dress down, she quickly stepped out of her apartment and shut the door behind her. She didn't want Percy to see the lack of furniture.

"Hello," Percy said, smiling. He was wearing a nice white button up shirt and jeans. It hit Annabeth that this was their first date. It struck her odd that she was going on a date with Percy. She could've sworn just last week they were nearly strangers. But she wasn't complaining; Percy looked nice and she hoped she did too.

"Hi," she answered a little breathlessly, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"Shall we?"

"I think so."

* * *

Percy took Annabeth to a nice Italian restaurant that looked pretty expensive. They were seated and Annabeth ordered fizzy water while Percy got a coke.

"Not big on wine, are you?" he asked.

Annabeth wrinkled her nose and shook her head. Her husband would drink everyday and it contributed to his abusive tendencies. Annabeth didn't like alcohol.

"Yeah, me neither."

When the waiter came back, Percy ordered and pizza and Annabeth, a panini.

"So," Annabeth asked, leaning forward slightly. "How did you get a restaurant so young?" she asked, genuinely curious. He couldn't have been much older than her and she was twenty three. It was rare to see someone young own their own restaurant.

"My dad," Percy said simply, taking a sip of his coke. "He had the restaurant when he met my mom, but when I turned twenty one he decided that he wanted to pass it on to me and go on a world cruise."

"A world cruise?" Annabeth asked, resisting the urge to laugh. Percy grinned though, showing her that if she laughed, he wouldn't mind.

"Yeah. He loves to sea and thought it was about time to retire."

"I see," she replied.

Annabeth chewed on the inside of her cheek, a question poking at the back of her mind, but she definitely didn't want to be rude. Instead, she decided to ask a question that might go deeper into to subject but only if Percy would let it.

"How old were you when Lilly was born?"

Percy was momentarily distracted by the arrival of their food, but after he piled three slices of pizza on his plate, he answered her question.

"Eighteen."

"Eighteen?" Annabeth asked, surprised. That made Percy the exact age as her, but she was surprised that he was barely an adult when he became a father. Of course she knew Percy was young and Lilly was at least five years old, but it never occurred to her how young Percy was.

He blushed slightly. "Yeah," he said. He took a bite of his pizza and Annabeth waited patiently to see if he would elaborate. He did. "Uh, it was with a girl who I'd dated for about a year and she ended up pregnant. After she told me, she said she was planning to get an abortion." Percy's eyes were on his pizza and his eyebrows were furrowed. "I told her that I didn't want her to do that, and she said she didn't want the baby. I told her I would take it, I would care for it and I talked her into keeping it. After Lilly was born, she went off to college and I haven't seen her since. She hasn't called, texted, emailed or written me at all. I just assume she doesn't want to be a mom, and she pretends that Lilly doesn't exist. I wish it wasn't like that. I wish Lilly had a mom, but I know she wouldn't be a good mom; I can find someone better for her because she deserves the best." Percy nodded, more to himself than to Annabeth. She felt her heart lurch strangely. She felt sorry for Percy.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Oh, don't be. We've been getting on fine without her."

Percy's sudden opening made Annabeth want to spill everything about her, but she knew she couldn't. Not yet, at least. Maybe not ever.

"So, do you have any dark secrets?" Percy teased. Annabeth nearly knocked over her drink, but she calmed down and told herself he was joking. She imagined if she told him, it'd be something like this: "Oh, yes, actually. I ran away from my husband who beat me everyday. Would you pass the Parmesan?"

"I'm joking," Percy said after a few silent seconds. She wasn't pulling keeping a secret off very well. "Annabeth, are you okay?"

"Fine! Sorry, I was thinking about something," Annabeth said quickly, and she took a bite of her panini to keep herself occupied. Percy surprised Annabeth by reaching across the table and taking her hand. She blinked at him.

"If you ever want to tell me anything, I'm a great listener," he said softly. He pulled his hand away and continued eating his pizza like he hadn't stopped.

Annabeth stared at him in amazement. She felt like he could see right though her.

The rest of the dinner, Percy told her about his parents and his step-dad and some of his friends. Annabeth listened intently, glad to learn more about him. He let Annabeth ask all the questions and he didn't ask any in return. It was the best dinner Annabeth had ever had.

"What would you do if you didn't take over the restaurant?" Annabeth asked after Percy told her how many detentions he's served since third grade. He shrugged.

"I don't know. A cop? A professional surfer? Maybe an astronaut. I have no idea. What about you? Where are you going with life?"

Annabeth took a sip of her fizzy water. "I was an architect for a little while," she answered.

"Was?"

"Yeah. Something got in the way," she said quietly.

Their plates had been long empty and the restaurant was slowly clearing out. Percy decided it was time to stop annoying their waiter who kept coming back to ask them if they needed anything else and walking away with an annoyed expression when they declined.

Annabeth stood up as did Percy and he absentmindedly placed his hand on the small of her back, walking with her to the car. Her skin tingles at his touch and when he separates to get into the car, Annabeth frowns.

As Percy pulls out of the parking lot, he glances at Annabeth.

"Why don't you come over for a little while?" he asked, his eyes on the street. Annabeth agreed before her mind even had time to think about it.

"Sure."

They pulled into a parking spot right in front of Percy's apartment, and as they climb the steps, his hand goes to her back again.

Sally was sitting inside, channel surfing when the two walked in. She glanced at them and stood up, reaching for her purse and keys.

"Thanks Mom," Percy says as she walks past him. She smiled at him, says hello to Annabeth and leaves quickly, leaving them alone.

Percy crashed on the couch and Annabeth took a seat next to him, stretching her legs out. He grabbed the remote and picked up where his mom left off. He stopped on some show with magical ponies and watched it with a serious face. Annabeth gave him a look, and when he noticed it, he turned his head back to the TV and laughed.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so used to watching these shows with Lilly that I sometimes forget I'm a grown man."

Annabeth laughed. "What do you watch when Lilly's not here?"

"The History Channel, National Geographic, you know, the good stuff."

"You do not!"

Percy laughed. "No, no, I don't. Just trying to impress you," he said with a shrug and Annabeth blushed a little. Either Percy liked her or he was just really nice.

"Here, let me see the remote," Annabeth said, holding her hand out expectantly.

"Uh-uh-uh," Percy chided, shaking his head, "you've got to get it first."

"Really, Percy."

"Really."

Annabeth glared at him for a second before she reached for his hand. He quickly pulled out of reach and held it far away.

"No fair! Your arms are longer," Annabeth said as she lunged again, leaning over Percy's lap.

"All's fair in love and war," he said matter-of-factly. She rolled her eyes and reached again. This time, Percy dropped the remote, caught Annabeth's wrist, pulled her against him, and kissed her.

Annabeth was so taken by surprise that she didn't respond for a moment. Part of her mind was telling her to tell Percy to take her home now; the other part was screaming at her to kiss him back. She didn't have time to choose though, because Percy pulled back, his pupils large and his lips parted.

"I..." Annabeth started, unsure exactly what she should say. Percy cupped her face and kissed her again, softly but it definitely made something stir in her chest.

Annabeth kissed him back, telling herself it was only a kiss. Percy gripped Annabeth's hips and pulled her into his lap. She let out a little squeak of surprise against his lips but her mind ignored the surprise as Percy deepened the kiss.

Okay, Annabeth told herself, this is okay.

Percy pulled away, his lips red. He pushed against her hip a little and she stood up. He followed suit.

"Come on," he murmured. Annabeth tried to find her voice to tell him she should go home, they should stop, but she only found her voice when they were in Percy's room, and she definitely wasn't telling him to stop.

* * *

Okay, sorry but I had to rewrite this. I'm sorry to the people who had to read the first one because it was terrible and jumbled and way too fast and weird. So I hope this is better and tell me what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

Annabeth woke up next to something warm. For a second, she thought it was her husband and her running away to New York was just a dream. But her husband was always out of bed before her. Annabeth opened her eyes and was met with bare skin. She pulled away and looked into the face of sleeping Percy.

Oh God, she thought. Last night didn't seem real to Annabeth but it obviously was, and she felt stupid. She should've listened to herself! Sleeping with Percy was not a good idea. It all went too fast. She expected a dinner and then she could go home and go to sleep in her own bed. Sex with Percy was not on that list. And she could've told Percy she wanted to leave any minute and she didn't! Annabeth scolded herself furiously.

She breathed out heavily through her nose, gently pulled Percy's arm from around her waist and slipped out of the bed. She found her underwear near the door an she quickly pulled them on. Next, with one arm over her chest, she went in search for her bra. She found her shoe underneath Percy's jeans but she needed her bra first. Just as Annabeth decided she would have to go home braless, someone behind her spoke.

"Are you looking for this?"

Annabeth turned quickly to see Percy holding her bra by one of the straps, giving her a very small smile. She moved over by the bed and reached out, half-expecting Percy to pull it away, but he let it go easily.

She didn't say anything to him as she turned her back to him and pulled her bra on. When she noticed the love bite on the top of her breast, she groaned.

She grabbed her dress from underneath the bed, intent on getting out of there as fast as she could. She wondered if one night stands were supposed to make you guilty.

"You're leaving?" Percy asked, watching her pull her dress on over her head. Annabeth could feel his eyes on her as she grabbed her shoes and sat down on the edge of the bed to slip them on.

"Yeah," she said quickly. Then she realized Percy would have to drop her off because her car was at her house. She cursed everything silently.

"I thought...maybe you would like to come to breakfast with Lilly and I and then we could go to work."

"Work?" Annabeth asked, looking at him. "Work?" she repeated. Percy nodded and Annabeth buried her face in her hands. "Shit," she grumbled. After a moment, she pulled her head up. "Listen, Percy, I can't. I have to go home and get ready for work."

"You've got-" he paused to look at his watch but he had taken it off last night and set it on the nightstand. He reached for it. "-nearly two and a half hours until the restaurant even opens," Percy said. "Please, Annabeth, please?" He gave her a look that reminded her of a baby seal and it caused her to falter.

Well, they already had sex, breakfast couldn't be too bad.

"I have to shower and get ready for work first," she grumbled. Percy grinned.

"We can drive you over there and wait in the car until you're ready," he offered. Annabeth sighed deeply.

"Oh, all right. Get dressed."

* * *

Annabeth, Percy, and Lilly all arrived to work together a little late because Lilly had lost her shoe and refused to leave until they found it. Annabeth was blushing furiously before they even stepped over the threshold. Percy didn't act any different though, and he and Lilly went straight to the back while Annabeth stayed in the front.

Kalle, one of Annabeth's friends there, caught Annabeth's elbow as she tried to brush past her.

"Oh my God, did you sleep with Percy?"

Annabeth was so caught of guard that she sputtered for a few seconds and didn't have time to recover before Kalle gasped.

"Oh my God, you did! You so had-"

"Shh!" Annabeth hissed, glancing around to make sure no one overheard her. "No, I didn't."

"You're a terrible liar, Annabeth," Kalle said, her blue eyes bright. "You can't just carpool to work together and not expect me to think you two did the dirty."

"Don't say it like that."

"Bumped nasties."

"Kalle!" Annabeth gasped, completely mortified. It was bad enough Kalle put things together, she didn't need her using crude ways to describe it. She wondered if anybody else had noticed.

Just then, Percy walked by, holding a ticket that probably was written wrong. Kalle's eyes followed him.

"He's got a nice ass, doesn't he?" she asked Annabeth, her chin in her fingers. Annabeth flushed and ignored the question, taking someone's money as they paid for their food.

"You know," Kalle continued once the customer left, "I knew you were kind of quiet and timid, and I was hoping you'd come out of your shell, but I didn't know it would be with a naked Percy. I mean, damn girl."

"Shouldn't you be working?" Annabeth asked, her face still scarlet.

"I'd rather be ogling at your man candy."

"He's not my man candy!"

"But you slept with him," Kalle said, giving her a look.

"So?"

"Aha!" Kalle pointed a finger in Annabeth's face, grinning. "You just admitted it. I'm so jealous. How was it? Was he rough or gentl-"

Percy brushed by them at that moment, giving Annabeth a smile and she blushed right up to the roots of her hair. She pinched Kalle hard to stop her from finishing her question.

"Morning," he said to Kalle and she grinned.

"How does he look after sex? I bet-" she started as he left but Annabeth cut her off.

"Kalle," Annabeth said sharply, "I'm not answering those questions, _please_ stop asking me them."

"Okay, but I'm texting you later for the details."

"No," she replied firmly.

"Fine then, I'll just go ask Percy-" she took a few steps toward the kitchen, but Annabeth lunged forward and grabbed her arm.

"No!"

"Only joking! I've got to get back to work. I wonder if Percy bangs all his co-workers."

"Go!"

Kalle giggled mischievously before she disappeared into the kitchen.

Annabeth tuned everyone out while she worked. She didn't need distractions to mess up her job for her. Every time Percy looked at her or came near her, she completely avoided eye contact and she blushed.

During her lunch break, she sat at a table by herself with her burger, fries and strawberry milkshake. Percy allowed one free meal a day to the workers and Annabeth always used it for her lunch. Lilly came skipping up to her table almost as soon as she sat down.

"Hey, Annabeth!" she said as she climbed into the seat across from her.

"Hi, Lilly," Annabeth replied and she offered the girl a fry.

"Thanks! Could you braid my hair?" she asked, frowning at her slighty curly black hair that was almost past her shoulders.

"Sure." Annabeth stood up and told Lilly to turn around. She braid her hair while Lilly handed her fries and told her how she thought Finding Nemo should have ended.

"...and then Marlin should have kissed Dory because I think they were in love," Lilly said firmly.

Annabeth accepted another fry from her and finished the second braid. "I agree."

"Hello ladies."

Annabeth froze and turned to see Percy grinning at them. She blushed, knowing she should stop blushing, and patted the top of Lilly's head.

"You're done."

Lilly hugged Annabeth, thanking her, and she skipped off, promising to draw Annabeth something else.

Annabeth turned back to her lunch and Percy caught her elbow, his fingers soft and warm. She bit down on the inside of her cheek and resisted the urge to pull away from his grasp.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked, his voice low. Annabeth looked back to him and could see he was concerned. She brushed his fingers away and picked up her hamburger that had one bite out of it and her full milkshake.

"No."

She turned and followed Lilly to offer her the milkshake, Percy watching her.

* * *

As soon as Annabeth's shift was over, Percy caught her again, this time in the kitchen.

"Come here, please," he said, pulling on her slightly. When she declined, he wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her into the broom closet, ignoring her curses.

"You're an ass!" she spat when he shut the door.

"What is wrong? Why are you acting this way?" he asked gently. Annabeth shot him a glare.

"Nothing is wrong with me."

"Listen, about last night-"

"It's fine," Annabeth said quickly without letting him finish. Percy was completely confused. She wasn't acting this way during breakfast-or last night.

"But-"

"No," she said, gripping the door knob. "I'm fine. I'll see you later."

"I'm your ride," he called after her.

"I'll grab one from Kalle."

And she left with Percy staring after her, a little more than hurt.

* * *

If anyone is wondering why I'm updating so much, it's because it's summer, I have no job or friends and fanfiction is the only thing that provides me joy. Thanks for reading! Please tell me what you think! Peace out girl scout


	8. Chapter 8

Percy was quite upset that Annabeth was ignoring him. During work he would offer her the tiniest of smiles, and if she ever caught them, which she rarely did, her facial expression would harden and she would turn her back to him. He was overall annoyed. It wasn't like he did that by himself! Annabeth was definitely there.  
These things were racing through Percy's mind as he grumpily pushed a shopping cart down the aisle of the grocery store after dropping Lilly of at Annabeth's apartment for awhile. Her words to him had been clipped and short and she practically shoved him out of the door as fast as she could. It wasn't fair. Annabeth could have told Percy to stop any minute and take her home which he totally would have. But she didn't say that and he didn't take her home.  
Percy reached out and tossed a few boxes of macaroni and cheese into his cart along with a gallon of milk and two boxes of princess gummies.  
He just wished Annabeth would tell him what he did wrong instead of closing him off. It would certainly help.  
He moved into the next aisle. It was empty except for a woman with her brown hair pulled into a bun and her fingers on her chin as she studied the chips. Percy thought she looked familiar but his phone rang and he was momentarily distracted.  
"Hello?"  
"Hi, Percy."  
Percy smiled at the sound of his mother's voice and leaned against his shopping cart.  
"Hey, Mom," he replied.  
"How are you?"  
"I'm good. I'm just grocery shopping." He made a point to move his cart forward a few inches as if to prove he really was shopping.  
"With Lilly?"  
"Nah, she's at Annabeth's," he said, his voice a little glum.  
"How's everything going with that?" He could hear the concern in her voice and he wondered if his mom could read his mind. She always knew what was up with him, even when he usually never told her.  
"Not good." He was getting closer to the woman and he swore he's seen her before.  
"What happened?"  
Percy was uninterested telling his mom about his love life, so he quickly told her he was about to check out and he'd call her later. As he hung up, the woman suddenly turned, her blue eyes sweeping across the aisle before they landed on him. Percy nearly dropped his phone in surprise.  
"Percy!" she said. She stepped slowly down the aisle, her high heels clicking on the tiled floor. She looked exactly the same as Percy remembered her except for her hair was longer and she dressed more mature than her old mini skirts and low cut blouses. He would recognize Lilly's mom anywhere.  
"M-Mia," Percy stammered, his eyes wide and feeling as though they were going to pop out of his skull.  
"Oh my Gosh! Hi, how are you?" she asked, swooping in close to him. Percy was so uncomfortable that he glanced around and seriously thought about telling her definitely wasn't Percy Jackson, nope, nope, his name was Peter Johnson. But he'd already said her name so he knew that plan was spoiled.  
"Uh, I'm good," he said nervously. He took a step back to get out of her breathing space. She was pretty, he had to admit, but he knew what she did to him and her own daughter and everything about her seemed ugly. "I thought you were at college?" he continued.  
"Oh, I just graduated. Me and my husband-" Percy's eye twitched, "-moved back here after we graduated. How's the...kid?" she asked. She spoke in the same tone as someone who was wondering how their friend's new puppy was. Percy's anger flared. Mia didn't even remember her daughter's name.  
"Why do you care?" Percy found himself spitting. Five years of anger seem to boil over and spill out like a garden hose the had a kink in it and it was finally loose. "What, do you actually want to be a mother or something?" he demanded aggressively.  
Mia frowned and blinked as though Percy had poked her hard between the eyes. "There is no need to be rude, Percy. _You're_ the one who wanted custody."  
"Yes, and I'm glad she never had to live with you. I'd hate for her to have any of your endearing qualities," he answered roughly.  
"I didn't think we'd start off on a bad foot," Mia replied, crossing her arms.  
"Yeah, well, we didn't exactly end on a good foot, did we?"  
"I didn't think you'd be such an asshole," Mia said. Percy could tell she was getting angry now and he felt smug about it. She's mad? Good. He wants to get so deep under her skin that she can't pull him out.  
"And when I had sex with you I didn't think you'd be such a bitch. If you'll excuse me, I have to go pick up my daughter." He wheeled past her, fuming. How dare she call him an asshole? His apologies for being a little angry that she completely ignored the existence of Lilly for five years. He wasn't asking her to watch her three days a week or things like that. He had just wanted her to maybe say hi once in awhile it write a letter or call or _something_. Lilly didn't deserve to have a mother who didn't care about her.  
Percy was so taken aback by his ex-girlfriend's sudden appearance that he swiped his credit card wrong four times in a row until the cashier had to swipe it for him. He gave the old lady an apologetic smile.  
"Sorry," he said as he picked up the pen to sign.  
"It's quite all right, dear. Bad day?" she asked kindly, her hand poised over the printer as the receipt came out.  
"More like a bad week," he mumbled. "Thank you, have a nice day."  
He loaded up his car and began the drive to Annabeth's apartment. When he arrived, Annabeth was wearing her hair in pigtails and red lipstick that was a little smeared. She blushed slightly when she opened the door. Percy was a little happy to see that she cared how she looked when she was around him-it meant she didn't exactly hate him.  
"Lilly wanted to do make overs," she mumbled as she slid the ponytail holders from her hair.  
"No!" Lilly cried from somewhere behind her. "I just got it perfect! Daddy, you ruined it!" Lilly came into view with her black hair pulled into two plaits that Percy knew was Annabeth's work because he definitely couldn't braid that well.  
"I'm sorry, Lilly, but I did bring you princess gummies so..." Percy trailed off and lifted his hands. Lilly jumped up and down and squealed. She flew into Percy and he lifted her up.  
"Why don't you go grab your things and I'll talk to Annabeth," Percy suggested. Annabeth's eyes narrowed at him, but he ignored the look and set Lilly down who ran off down the hall. She had packed a lot of toys and a lot of princess dresses for just a few hours. She'd begged him to go to Annabeth's and when he asked her, she agreed quickly. It was the first text she'd sent to him since he asked her for her address before their first date.  
"I need to talk to you about something. I can't talk to anyone else about it." That was a lie. Percy could totally tell his mom but he wanted to tell Annabeth.  
Annabeth gave him a worried look but she nodded. "Come in," she said. She disappeared into the kitchen for a moment before she came back into the living room minus her smudged red lipstick.  
"So I went to the grocery store and I met someone I've had kind of a history with," Percy started. His heart was beating heavily as a late reaction to what he experienced earlier. He was shaken up.  
"Who?" Annabeth asked.  
"Lilly's mom."  
Annabeth's eyebrows pulled together. "But I thought you said she was at college?"  
"She was-until she graduated and then she and her husband moved back here," he scoffed.  
"I'm sorry, Percy," she said.  
He waved his hand. "No, it's fine. She called me an asshole though so I may or may not have called her a bitch," he admitted sheepishly. He didn't really like to call people names but it seemed to just slip out.  
"Percy..."  
"Well she hasn't called or written or visited just to say hi to Lilly. I wasn't asking for child support or anything. I just wanted Lilly to know her mother. I don't want this to affect her later in life when she...when she doesn't have a mom."  
Annabeth's mouth turned down slightly at her words and as she opened her mouth to reply, Lilly skipped into the room and launched herself into Annabeth's arms.  
"Bye Annabeth!" she said and she squeezed her in a hug.  
"Bye Lilly."  
Lilly slid from Annabeth's arms and reached up to Percy who immediately lifted her into his arms.  
"Bye Annabeth," Percy said, taking Lilly's bag from her hands.  
"Good bye Percy." Annabeth had a strange look on her face that Percy couldn't exactly read. He stepped outside and turned back, desperate to continue their conversation because he knew she would have good advice for him.  
"I'll see you later," he said, a little desperation in his eyes.  
Annabeth grabbed a hold of the door, her grey eyes reflection the sky above them. "Yeah, maybe." And she shut the door firmly.

* * *

hi! thanks for all the reviews! Please continue to tell me what you think! And for those who think Annabeth and Percy's relationship is going too fast...that's part of the plot! Okay, thank you!


	9. Chapter 9

enjoy c:

* * *

Percy woke up the next morning completely unrested. He had stressed through the entire night, causing him to get only about two hours of sleep and he felt quite horrible.

He wasn't exactly required to go to work since he was the owner, he just didn't like to sit in his apartment all day. But today seemed like a good day to sleep in. He knew Lilly would appreciate it too.

Percy rolled over on his stomach and dreamt about Annabeth. She was laughing, the sun behind her causing a soft glow to illuminate her and her hair so that it looked like a golden halo. She kissed him and Percy could have sworn it was real.

He woke up at two in the afternoon, groggy and confused. He sat up and pulled on a pair of sweatpants before shuffling into the living room. Lilly was sat in front of the TV watching a Barbie movie she put in herself. She was still in her pajamas and her hair was tangled.

"Good morning, princess," Percy said as he sat down on the floor next to her.

"Morning Daddy," she whispered, her eyes not leaving the screen. She had a baby doll in her lap and she was clutching it tightly.

"Did you have breakfast?" he asked. She shook her head.

"You want some waffles?"

"Yeah!"

Percy tapped her back and went into the kitchen to put some frozen waffles into the toaster oven. He leaned against the counter while waiting for them to cook. Distant music started playing and Percy was sure it was the movie Lilly was watching.

The toaster oven dinged and Percy pulled out the two waffles. His stomach was churning because he was nervous about everything so he didn't make any waffles for himself. He was nervous about Lilly starting school in a month, nervous about the whole thing with Annabeth, and definitely nervous about Mia being back in New York. He couldn't eat with all this stress.

He poured a little syrup on the waffles, cut them up into bite size pieces, and fixed a small glass of milk before shuffling back into the living room.

"Thanks Daddy!" Lilly said as she took the plate from him.

"You're welcome."

Percy heard the music again but he knew it wasn't the movie this time because there was music already playing. He suddenly remembered he left his phone in his room and, thinking it was his mom, he jumped off the floor and ran into his room. The name on the screen was, in fact, not his mom, but Annabeth. Percy stared at it for a moment, sure she's realize she dialed the wrong number. But it rang three more times and he scrambled to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey," Annabeth said and Percy felt his lips twitch into a smile.

"Hey," he repeated, sitting on the edge of his bed. He was glad to hear Annabeth's voice.

"Um...can I talk to you?" she asked quietly. Percy sat up a little straighter. She wanted to talk?

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead," he replied quickly.

"Well, I thought maybe we could do it in person?" Her voice was much softer than it has been over the past week and Percy felt himself relaxing. Maybe she would finally explain what happened.

"Uh, yeah! Me and Lilly are just watching TV. You can come over if you want."

There was a pause on the other line, and then: "I'll be there in five minutes."

"Okay! See you then."

The phone went silent and he realized she hung up on him. He tried to scowl at the phone but he was still smiling.

Percy moved around his apartment picking up dolls, clothes and dishes so Annabeth wouldn't think he was a messy person even though he really was.

"Here, Lilly, come here," Percy said, motioning for her. She set her now clean plate down and reached up for him.

"I'll put in Cinderella for you, okay?" She rubbed her eyes and nodded. He should have put her down for a nap an hour ago.

Percy walked out of Lilly's room a few minutes later, shutting the door behind him just as someone knocked on his door. He quickly moved forward and opened the door.

Annabeth was standing in front of the door, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Hey," she said, smiling slightly. Percy's heart thumped painfully.

"Hi."

Annabeth's eyes darted to his bare chest before they moved back to his face. She waited.

"Oh, right. Come in."

Annabeth nodded slightly and brushed past him, trying way too hard not to touch him. She took a seat on the couch and turned her head to look expectantly at him. He shut the door and sat down next to her.

"Percy," Annabeth started, her fingers knotted nervously in her lap. "I just wanted...I wanted to apologize for being so rude." She brushed her hair away from her face and breathed out. "I treated you unfairly and I'm really sorry. I just...I don't want that kind of relation between us."

Percy felt as though someone had just punched him in the throat. "Oh," is all he said. He acted like that wasn't making his week the worst one yet.

"I know that...we had sex-" she said this very quickly as if she didn't want Percy to catch the words, "but I just want to remain friends, okay?"

"I-uh, okay," Percy said before swallowing hard. "Yeah, that's fine. Would you like to go out to lunch? Or I guess dinner."

"Um, I have plans, but thank you anyway. Where's Lilly?"

"She's taking a nap. We skipped worked today."

"I noticed," Annabeth said, smiling at him. "So is everything all right with Lilly's mom?" she asked, her posture becoming less stiff and more relaxed.

Percy shrugged. He had momentarily forgotten about Mia, but now that she was brought up, a heavy weight seemed to settle on his chest. "I don't really know," he admitted. "I'm not sure what to think about her moving back. Everything about her just...pisses me off. I don't know what it is but she just does. I can't believe I used to date someone like her."

"I'm sorry. Maybe you won't have to worry about her. I mean, just seeing her at the grocery store was pretty rare," Annabeth replied, offering him a gentle smile that seem to take some of the worry away.

He nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

Annabeth leaned back a little. "You know, when I first met you I was sure you didn't worry about a thing in the world," she said.

Percy laughed. "You must be very bad at first impressions."

"Not really. You've been pretty care free until now."

"Care free my ass," Percy scoffed. Annabeth rolled her eyes just as Lilly's bedroom door opened. Lilly stepped out clutching a purple elephant to her chest.

"I can't sleep," Lilly mumbled, frowning. She climbed into Percy's lap and snuggled up to him. "Hi," she said to Annabeth, peeking at her through the hair that had fallen out of her plaits from yesterday.

"Hello," Annabeth replied. Lilly smiled at her and her eyes shut. "I've got to go," Annabeth continued. "I'll see you two later."

She smiled at Percy and put her hand on his shoulder then rubbed Lilly's back.

"Bye," she called, opening the door.

"Bye," Percy replied, watching her as she left.

Well, it wasn't exactly what Percy was expecting, but he would definitely take friendship over her ignoring him any day.

* * *

Hi okay for the people who are saying this story is boring, I'm sorry, but I have to get a nice build up unless you just want this to be ten chapters long. And Annabeth's past is coming up soon, okay? Just stick with me, please.


	10. Chapter 10

Okay I would just like to say sorry for not updating for so long, it's been a pretty stressful summer, _and _an update is coming soon, so stay tuned. I just wanted to tell you guys so you didn't give up all hope for this fic.


End file.
